Rail and flange lubricator



NOV. 21, 1933. c M|| LER 1,936,481

RAIL AND FLANGE LUBRICATOR Filed Dec. 12, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l CAA/zller Nov. 21, 1933. c. A. MILLER RAIL AND F LANGE LUBRICATOR Filed Dec. 12. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZAV [I] l mwwkw 64/1/17! NOV. 21, 1933. c M|| LER 1,936,481

RAIL AND FLANGE LUBRICATOR Filed Dec. 12, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES Maw QFFICE Application December 12, 1%!) Serial No. 591,978

8 Claims.

This invention relates to lubricating mechanism for railway tracks, particularly adjacent or at curves, and for the flanges of the wheels of rolling stock, in order to reduce wear of such parts to the minimum.

A particular object of the present improvements is to provide a novel means whereby the oil is discharged through the depression of plunger mechanism engageable by the wheel flanges, which mechanism is adjustable in order to regulate or vary the quantity of lubricant to be discharged.

It is further aimed to provide a novel means having parts which coact in positioning the plungers or pistons and which are operable for adjustment to limit or control the movement of such plungers or pistons.

In addition, an importantobject is to provide a novel means wherebysurplus oil or oil not taken up by the rail and flanges, may be reclaimed for further use.

The-more specific objects and advantages will be in part pointed out or become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment, and wherein Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, fragmentarily showing a railway track with my improvementsapplied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line '7-'l of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a'horizontal sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9' is a view substantially similar to Fig. 8 showing the adjustment of the piston.

Fig. 1G is a phantom cross sectional View through the rail, showing the position of a piston.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of one of the pistons, and

Fig. 12 is a detail vertical section on line l2--l2 of Fig. 6.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, 10 shows a conventional railway rail supported as usual onties 11, or otherwise,

the showing being taken as conventional and adjacent a curve or the rail may be considered as acurve, since the improvements are primarily adapted for use at curves, to minimize wear on the ball or head of the rail 12 and the wheels 13 or" rolling stock, which engage the same and particularly on the periphery and rail side of the flanges of such wheels.

Suitably fastened along one side of the rail 12 is a mounting body generally designated 14, 557; which for example may be a metallic casting, having inclined upper and lower surfaces 15 and 1S, intimately engaging the under surface of the ball of the rail and the top of one or the base flanges of the rail. Bolts'l'? or any preferred j fastening means may be used to rigidly secure the body is in place.

A lubricant reservoir in the form of a barrel, or otherwise, as desired, is arranged as at 18- along thertraclrway, preferably having a vent pipe 19 adjacent the top thereof.

A suitably anchored stand 20 supports the barrel 18 above the ball of the rail and a discharge conduit 21 leads from such reservoir to the body 14: Such discharge conduit 21 preiso" erably has a strainer device 22 thereinjconsisting of bulged plates 23 screwed to sections of the pipe 21 and bolted together as at 24 and securing a strainer of metal gauze or otherwise therebetween as at 25. V

Drilled longitudinally of the body 14 is'a lubricant distributing passage or channel 26, wherein the said pipe or conduit 21 communicates.

Various drill holes essential to providing the passage 26 and permitting cleaning thereof when necessary, are plunged or closed-by plates, as at 2'7. A plurality of lubricant discharging chambers are provided in the body 14, as at 28, and communicate through short passages 29 with the lubricant distributing passage 25, such passages 29 being normally closed by check valves in the form of balls or the like, as at 30.,

Plungers or pistons 31 are slidably and slightly rotatably operable in the chambers 23 for depression by the flanges of wheels 13 in order to diseharge lubricant. 'To minimize wear, steel bushings or linings 32 are preferably provided for the chambers 28 and for direct mounting of the pistons: 31. At the lower ends the bushings 32 preferably rest on copper or other gaskets 33. Such bushings are removable for replacing in case of undue wear, and in this case may be held in place by the overlapping of their upper ends by heads 33 of set screws 34. suitably threaded in the body'le,

The pistons 31 are urged to the uppermost limit of their travel by expansive coil springs 34. The pistons 31 have one or any desired number of lubricant discharge passages at 35, arranged at,

any suitable angle so as to direct the lubricant against the inner upright wall of the ball or" the rail and against the facing surfaces of the flanges of the wheels 13, the arrangement being such that the lubricant may be also directed on to the upper surface of the ball of the rail and engaging portion of the periphery of wheels 13 under control as to the quantity of lubricant discharged. Each piston 31 has a chamber 36 from which the passages 35 lead, into which bushings 37 are fitted, constituting slats for check valves in the form of balls 38 and normally urged against their seats by expansive coil springs 39.

Vertical slots or recesses 40 are provided in the periphery of the pistons 31 into which a stud 41 extends. Such studs 41 are carried by screw threaded bodies. 42 having engagement with screw threads 43 in the body 14. The studs 41 are disposed eccentric with respect to the screw bodies 42 and since the studs engage the base wall or slots 40 rotation of the screw bodies 42 will vary the height of the studs and thus vary or limit the upward movement of the pistons 31. In this way the quantity of lubricant discharged is variable.

Arms 44 are-capable of sliding along the screw bodies 42 and have lugs 45 which are engaged in longitudinal grooves 46 of such bodies. The arms 44also carry studs 47 which are operable in recess or notch 48 of an arcuate series of notches 48 provided about the axes of the screw bodies 42. Nuts 49 are threaded to the screw bodies 42 and bear against the arms 44, holding them rigidly inplace with the studs 47 in one of the recesses 48. When it is necessary to adjust the position of the pistons 31, nuts 49 are loosened which enables the arms 44 to he slid along the bodies 42 sufiiciently to move studs 47 out of recesses 48 and the arms 44 can thereupon be turned so as toadjust the screw bodies 42 and studs 41, due to the interengagement of lug 45 and groove 46. When the desired adjustment is effected arm 47 is fastened against the body 14 with stud 47 disposed in the adjacent recess or notch 48, after which the nuts49 are tightened.

It will be noted that the upper surface of the body 14 is provided in the form of a trough 50 since a fiange 51 surrounds the same at two sides and one end. This trough will return any unused lubricant draining ofi of the wheels 13 and ball 12 and direct the same at the openend thereof, designated 52, into a trough member 53 suitably secured to or forming part of the body 14. The lubricant entering trough 53 passes through a screen 54 and below the same through a pipe 55 into a reclaiming tank or reservoir 56. The reclaimed lubricant in tank 56may be removable for any desired purpose, especially for return to the barrel or reservoir 18, thus any wastage of lubricant is avoided.

As a result of the construction described, the lubricant flows by gravity from the reservoir 18 through pipe 21 into the distributing channel 26, and thence through the passage 29 into the charm.- bers 28, aided by the suction of the pistons 31 as the same move upwardlyand are returned to normal position by the springs 34, during which action valves 30 are moved off of their seats. when the pistons 31 which extend above the trough 50, are engaged by the flanges of wheels 13, they are depressed so that the chcCk Y JVQ and thence through the screen 54 in pipe 55 to reclaiming reservoir 56 for reuse.

The reservoir 18 if desired may be an ordinary barrel to a bung hole or opening of which the pipe 21 may be connected, if desired.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the in vention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a rail and wheel lubricant device, a body disposable at a side of a rail, means carried by the body operable to discharge lubricant, a trough in communication with one end of said body, said body at the upper surface thereof having a flange surrounding the same to provide a trough in communication with the first mentioned trough, strainer means adjacent the junction of said troughs, and reclaiming means for the lubricant in communication with the first mentioned trough below the strainer means.

2. A lubricator of the class described havinga. body, a piston thereon operable to discharge lubricant, and interfitting means between the body and piston including a slot and an eccentric operable therein to vary the limit of movement of the piston to thereby control the discharge of lubricant, said slot being elongated whereby the piston may reciprocate relatively to and independently of the eccentric. 1

3. A lubricator of the class described comprising a body, a piston operable therein to discharge lubricant, a screw member threaded to said body, interfitting means between the screw member and piston including a slot to control the extent of movement of the piston, said slot being elongated whereby the piston may reciprocate relatively to and independently of the screw member, an arm connected to the screw and operable to turn the latter, and means carried bythe arm for engagement with the body to hold the arm and screw member against displacement.

4. A lubricator of the class described comprising a body, a piston operable therein to discharge lubricant, a screw member threaded to said body, interfitting means between the screw member and piston to control the extent of movement of the piston, an arm connected to the screw and operable to turn the latter, and means carried by the arm for engagement with the body to hold the arm and screw member against displacement, said arm and screw member having an interfltting lug and slot, said slot being elongated whereby the piston may reciprocate relatively to and independently of the screw member, and a nut threaded on said screw member and engageable lug and slot, said slot being elongated whereby the piston may reciprocate relatively to and independently of the screw member, a nut threaded on said screw member and engageable against the arm to secure it against the body, and a bushing in the body in which said piston moves, and the connection between the screw member and piston consisting of an eccentric stud on the screw member and a slot in the piston, said bushing having an opening through which the screw member passes.

6. A lubricator of the class described having a body, a piston thereon operable to discharge lubricant, and interfitting means between the body and piston including a slot and coacting eccentric operable to vary the limit of movement of the piston to thereby control the discharge of lubricant, said slot being elongated whereby the piston may reciprocate relatively to and independently of the eccentric, said interfitting means between the arm and body comprising portions on the body arranged substantially in a row concentric with the axes of said screw member.

7. A rail and flange lubricating device comprising, in combination: a body disposable at a side of the rail formed with an upwardly open trough sloping longitudinally of the rail to a sumpformed in said body; an upwardly spring pressed plunger projecting through the bottom of said trough acting to discharge lubricant when depressed by a passing wheel flange; and an excess lubricant collecting receptacle independent of the source of supply to said plunger, in communication with said sump to which lubricant flows by gravity from said sump.

8. A rail and flange lubricating device compris- 

